I know a couple of people who play for a living but also sign on. They are live players tho and I think they sign on mainly for the security of housing benefits etc than the actual 50 odd quid. Will be harder to do as an online pro IMO as I think they now check bank accounts as well. I think that the figure is 16k in the bank and then you aren't eligable for benefits. 1.6k seems like a very small amount to be unable to claim state aid. But tbh I doubt many true poker pros sign on...there may be people who claim to be pro but aren't and sign on cos they have to....I can't see many poker pros taking the time out of their week for 50 odd quid, Posted by scotty77
Hi Ryan, iv heard you say once or twice that some people clam to be pro but are not really and i wondered what you mean by that. If for e.g someone was not a well known pro on the cercit or even a mid stakes player on or off line but was still grinding out a poor and unglamourus living multytabling low stakes then surly they are still pro?
If your earning a reasonable living from poker and claiming, this is exploiting a technicality.
If your barely surviving from poker then definitely fine too claim.
If you are earning enough money from poker, then why not give social welfare benefits to charity.If I had my way, every person would pay a very minor tax which would go to help the less fortunate people around the world.
In Response to Re: Pro players on the dole : Hi Ryan, iv heard you say once or twice that some people clam to be pro but are not really and i wondered what you mean by that. If for e.g someone was not a well known pro on the cercit or even a mid stakes player on or off line but was still grinding out a poor and unglamourus living multytabling low stakes then surly they are still pro? Posted by Russ76
There are a lot of people who are 'pro' who aren't 'pro' at all. They are names on the circuit and are well known but survive on this well known name by selling @ mark up/being staked or having a long term backing deal. Many of the faces you know on TV will have a net worth less than the average person on the street.....many semi wellknown pro players have started trying to sell shares in their WSOP action by selling 70pc at 1.2 or 1.3. When you add the numbers up you realise that the markup actually pays for their entire buyin figures.
As long as you are making a decent living from the game then you are technically pro...there are tonnes of people out there who make a nice steady living from the game and do a far better job than many of the heroes/figures from the game.
So many of the pros are just lucky that they were around and playing the circuit from 2004 to 2008 when the game was far far easier and sponsorship dealers were being handed around like water.
Also I agree wit Fabrclass about the charity thing. Give as much as you can spare to the less well off in society.
If your earning a reasonable living from poker and claiming, this is exploiting a technicality. If your barely surviving from poker then definitely fine too claim. If you are earning enough money from poker, then why not give social welfare benefits to charity.If I had my way, every person would pay a very minor tax which would go to help the less fortunate people around the world. Posted by Fabraclass
stop it now Fabra,you,re coming across like the god you are
not just £50 a week know a few players who sign on and do well at poker they are also getting their £600 a month rent allowance plus council tax rebate so it adds up to about £1k a month,
I totaly agree that some should go to people who need it. I think you need a clear definition of claiming benfits and playing poker i.e. if your claming and playing while looking for a job then I see nothing wrong but to say you are excuse the word pro that your living comes from the game and you dont intend to look for work then although it is technically within the rules everybody has to decide for themselves if morally that is right.
I come from the side of someone who has a long term health problems but because as mentioned before I have a business I would never want to claim benifts because I have a belief that unless the day comes that I was desperate for money there are a lot more people out there who are desperate for help esp during these difficult financial times.
In the same way would it be ok to be a cab driver who dosent delcare he is working but still signs on would you still say that was ok for them to claim?
Comments
If your barely surviving from poker then definitely fine too claim.
If you are earning enough money from poker, then why not give social welfare benefits to charity.If I had my way, every person would pay a very minor tax which would go to help the less fortunate people around the world.
I come from the side of someone who has a long term health problems but because as mentioned before I have a business I would never want to claim benifts because I have a belief that unless the day comes that I was desperate for money there are a lot more people out there who are desperate for help esp during these difficult financial times.
In the same way would it be ok to be a cab driver who dosent delcare he is working but still signs on would you still say that was ok for them to claim?